A Hamilton Heights Home to Perform In

Dec. 19, 2012 11:48 a.m. ET

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David Ross purchased this limestone townhouse in Hamilton Heights for his mother, Helen Rogers, in 2007 for just under $2.885 million, according to public records. Mr. Ross, an attorney and real estate investor, resides in California.
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One of the home's French doors is pictured. Ms. Rogers is a former model who has run modeling agencies and training centers. She has two children, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, and says she likes to feel 'that I'm ageless.' Before living in Hamilton Heights, Ms. Rogers was in SoHo and the Upper East Side after making the decision to live in New York fulltime 15 years ago.
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A guest room and office area is pictured. Ms. Rogers said that when she last set out to look for property, her children advised her to find a 'doorman and an elevator.' Neither of those were available in the townhouse, but she fell in love with the wrought iron and marble accents in the home, which she said reminded her of a Parisian residence.
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An outdoor terrace is pictured. By the time she found this townhouse, Ms. Rogers had looked at close to 40 properties, she says. 'It just sort of spoke to me,' she says of the house, 'and said, 'I think you'd like to be here.''
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One of the first things Ms. Rogers brought into the home was a grand piano. She has used space on the parlor floor to host performances for audiences of up to 40 people. The idea was suggested by an acquaintance of Ms. Rogers who composes operas. When she visited the home and tried the piano out, she was impressed by the acoustics. 'That was sort of the beginning, we talked about who we knew and who we could invite,' Ms. Rogers said.
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Here, a view of the library and dining area. Ms. Rogers says the concerts are professional events and she pays the musicians for their performances, although she doesn't charge guests who attend. Hosting the concerts 'has opened up a whole new world for me,' she says.
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The living room on the third floor is pictured. The townhouse was renovated by its previous owner who decided to relocate to Paris, according to Ms. Rogers. Mr. Ross says his mother 'took a beautiful house and made it 'sublime.' 'From a son's perspective, I'm very happy she's there and proactive in the community,' he says.
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The garden floor of the townhouse is a self-contained apartment with its own kitchen, pictured, which Ms. Rogers chose to keep for family and friends instead of renting out. 'It is just totally self-sufficient,' she says.
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Here, the third floor chef's kitchen. Ms. Rogers says she has decided to leave New York to be closer to her family in California and Arizona, and to assist one of her granddaughters in Arizona, who is ill. 'It is time to move on and live another life,' she says.
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Another view of the kitchen is pictured. The approximately 4,400-square-foot townhouse has four bedrooms and five full bathrooms. With its layout, the townhouse is 'open to possibilities without expense,' says listing agent Tamara Marotta of Sothebys International Realty.
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Ms. Rogers says one of the spaces she will miss most is her 'beautiful bedroom,' located on the fourth floor. She will also miss 'the ease of living' in the area, and 'the fact that I have made some extraordinary friends,' she says.
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A second view of the master bedroom is pictured. Ms. Rogers says she will also miss the theater, foreign films and museums in the city. 'Helen is a New York person, New York is her kind of town' says Mr. Ross. But, says Ms. Rogers, 'I have a lot of people [in California] that are saying, 'Come on!'
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Here, the master bathroom. 'The whole house, it is a mix [of] a few modern pieces, a few period pieces, some things I've had for years. It is very uncluttered and I like that,' says Ms. Rogers.
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Ms. Rogers hasn't made any structural changes to the home since moving in, but replanted and reorganized the garden, she says. 'I have an eclectic look, people like it,' she says. 'It is very inviting, homey in a sophisticated kind of way.' The home was listed at the end of October for $2.895 million with Tamara Marotta of Sothebys International Realty.
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The graceful layout of this four-bedroom home in Hamilton Heights inspired its resident to host concerts for performers on the parlor floor. The four-story limestone townhouse is on the market for just under $2.9 million. -- Jackie Bischof